1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a tube unit, a control unit, and a micropump configured by the units being connected in such a way as to be attachable and detachable.
2. Related Art
To date, a small peristaltic pump apparatus has been known in which a pump module, which includes a tube and a rotor which presses the tube, and a motor module, which has a step motor and an output gear mechanism, are assembled stacked one on the other, a gear acting as a connecting element is provided on a rotary shaft of the rotor, and a pinion acting as a power takeoff mechanism is provided on the output gear mechanism, wherein, on the pump module and the motor module being connected stacked one on the other, the pinion and the gear are connected (in mesh), and a drive force of the step motor is transmitted to the rotor (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 3,177,742 (Page 3, FIGS. 1 and 3)).
This kind of small peristaltic pump apparatus according to Japanese Patent No. 3,177,742 is configured by the pump module and the motor module being connected. Then, the small peristaltic pump apparatus is primarily used to be mounted directly on a living body, and inject a liquid medicine into it, requiring a high reliability, a durability, and a discharge accuracy.
In a pump apparatus which presses a tube, in particular, it being difficult to use the tube for a long period due to its deterioration, it is desirable that the tube is easily replaceable, or made disposable. However, it being difficult for a user to mount a soft and thin tube alone on a pump main body, it is conceivable that it affects a discharge performance.
Also, generally, a diameter of the tube varies widely, and this variation causes a variation in a tube pressing magnitude, leading to an impossibility of obtaining the discharge accuracy, as well as an overload on a small motor acting as a drive source, meaning that it is also conceivable that it is impossible to obtain a desired drive performance and, at worst, it is impossible to drive the apparatus.